US5505930AExpiredUtility

Method for converting reactive metals such as sodium into a metal hydroxide

22
Assignee: MERRICK REMEDIATION COMPANY INPriority: Aug 23, 1991Filed: Jan 10, 1994Granted: Apr 9, 1996
Est. expiryAug 23, 2011(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Frank B. Christiphine
Y02E60/36C01B 13/322C01B 3/042C01D 1/04
22
PatentIndex Score
3
Cited by
4
References
29
Claims

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for conversion in a container of reactive material comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and lithium into its respective metal hydroxide. First the container is purged of essentially all oxygen with an essentially dry gas that is inert with respect to the reactive material. Next, a carrier gas is introduced into the container that is inert with respect to the reactive material. The humidity of the carrier gas, the temperatures of the reactive material, condensing surfaces inside the container, and the carrier gas are all suitable to allow water to condense out of the carrier gas once the carrier gas contacts the condensing surfaces and the reactive material. The condensed water will then react with the reactive material thereby forming the respective metal hydroxide and hydrogen.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
I claim: 
     
       1. A method for conversion inside a container having surfaces suitable for condensing, of a reactive metal material into a hydroxide of the reactive metal material, wherein the reactive metal material comprises sodium, the method comprises the steps of: (a) purging the container of essentially all oxygen with an essentially dry gas that is inert with respect to the reactive metal material; and   (b) introducing into the container a water-containing carrier gas, wherein the humidity of the carrier gas, the temperature of the reactive metal material, the temperature of condensing surfaces in the container and the temperature of the carrier gas are all sufficient to condense water out of the carrier gas and onto the reactive metal material thereby forming a hydroxide of the reactive metal material and hydrogen, as the carrier gas contacts the condensing surfaces and the reactive metal material.   
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1 wherein the relative humidity of the carrier gas is in the range of about 50 percent to about 100 percent. 
     
     
       3. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the carrier gas is in the range of about 0° C. to about 100° C. 
     
     
       4. The process of claim 1 wherein the purge gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, neon, argon and helium. 
     
     
       5. The process of claim 4 wherein the purge gas is nitrogen. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 1 wherein the carrier gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, neon, argon and helium. 
     
     
       7. The process of claim 6 wherein the carrier gas is nitrogen. 
     
     
       8. The process of claim 1 wherein the container is a tank. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 1 further comprising: (c) removing any heat generated in step (b).   
     
     
       10. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the carrier gas introduced in step (a) is in the range of about 0° C. to about 100° C., with the temperature of the condensing surfaces being in the range of 5° C. to about 95° C. cooler than the temperature of the carrier gas. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10 wherein the temperature of the carrier gas is in the range of about 30° C. to about 60° C. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 1 wherein the relative humidity of the carrier gas is less than about 50 percent. 
     
     
       13. A method for conversion inside a container having surfaces suitable for condensing and having an essentially dry, essentially oxygen free atmosphere, of a reactive metal material into a hydroxide of the reactive metal material, wherein the reactive metal material comprises sodium, the method comprises the steps of: (a) introducing into the container a water-containing carrier gas, wherein the humidity of the carrier gas, the temperature of the reactive metal material, the temperature of the condensing surfaces in the container and the temperature of the the temperature of the carrier gas are all sufficient to condense water out of the carrier gas and onto the reactive metal material thereby forming a hydroxide of the reactive metal material and hydrogen, as the carrier gas contacts the condensing surfaces and the reactive metal material.   
     
     
       14. The process of claim 13 wherein the relative humidity of the carrier gas is in the range of about 50 percent to about 100 percent. 
     
     
       15. The process of claim 13 wherein the temperature of the carrier gas is in the range of about 0° C. to about 100° C. 
     
     
       16. The process of claim 13 wherein the carrier gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, neon, argon and helium. 
     
     
       17. The process of claim 16 wherein the carrier gas is nitrogen. 
     
     
       18. The process of claim 13 wherein the container is a tank. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 13 further comprising: (b) removing any heat generated in step (a).   
     
     
       20. The method of claim 13 wherein the temperature of the carrier gas introduced in step (a) is in the range of about 0° C. to about 100° C., with the temperature of the condensing surfaces being in the range of 5° C. to about 95° C. cooler than the temperature of the carrier gas. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 13 wherein the temperature of the carrier gas is in the range of about 30° C. to about 60° C. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 13 wherein the relative humidity of the carrier gas is less than about 50 percent. 
     
     
       23. A method for conversion inside a container having surfaces suitable for condensing and having an essentially dry, essentially oxygen free atmosphere, of a reactive metal material into a hydroxide of the reactive metal material, wherein the reactive metal material comprises sodium, the method comprises the steps of: (a) introducing into the container a water-containing carrier gas, wherein the humidity of the carrier gas, the temperature of the reactive metal material, the temperature of the condensing surfaces in the container, and the temperature of the carrier gas are all sufficient to condense water out of the carrier gas and onto the reactive metal material in an exothermic reaction thereby forming a hyroxide of the reactive metal material and hydrogen, as the carrier gas contacts the condensing surfaces and the reactive metal material;   (b) removing exothermic heat of the water-reactive metal reaction of step (a).   
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23 wherein the temperature of the carrier gas introduced an step (a) is in the range of about 0° C. to about 100° C., with the temperature of the condensing surfaces being in the range of 5° C. to about 95° C. cooler than the temperature of the carrier gas. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 23 wherein the temperature of the carrier gas is in the range of about 30° C. to about 60° C. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 23 wherein the relative humidity of the carrier gas is less than about 50 percent. 
     
     
       27. A method for conversion inside a container having surfaces suitable for condensing, of a reactive metal material into a hydroxide of the reactive metal material, wherein the reactive metal material comprises sodium, the method comprises the steps of: (a) purging the container of essentially all oxygen with an essentially dry gas that is inert with respect to the reactive material;   (b) introducing into the container a water-containing carrier gas, wherein the humidity of the carrier gas, the temperature of the reactive metal material, the temperature of condensing surfaces in the container and the temperature of the carrier gas are all sufficient to condense water out of the carrier gas and react with the reactive metal material thereby forming a hydroxide of the reactive metal material and hydrogen, as the carrier gas contacts the condensing surfaces and the reactive metal material; and   (c) removing the metal hydroxide formed in step (b) to prevent the metal hydroxide from covering the reactive metal material and slowing the reaction of the reactive metal material with the water condensed in step (b).   
     
     
       28. A method for conversion inside a container having surfaces suitable for condensing and having an essentially dry, essentially oxygen free atmosphere, of a reactive metal material into a hydroxide of the reactive metal material, wherein the reactive metal material comprises sodium, the method comprises the steps of: (a) introducing into the container a water-containing carrier gas, wherein the humidity of the carrier gas, the temperature of the reactive metal material, the temperature of condensing surfaces in the container and the temperature of the carrier gas are all sufficient to condense water out of the carrier gas and react with the reactive metal material thereby forming a hydroxide of the reactive metal material and hydrogen, as the carrier gas contacts the condensing surfaces and the reactive material; and   (b) removing the metal hydroxide formed in step (a) to prevent the metal hydroxide from covering the reactive metal material and slowing the reaction of the reactive metal material with the water condensed in step (a).   
     
     
       29. A method for conversion inside a container having surfaces suitable for condensing and having an essentially dry, essentially oxygen free atmosphere, of a reactive metal material into its respective metal hydroxide, wherein the metal material comprises sodium, the method comprises the steps of: (a) introducing into the container a water-containing carrier gas, wherein the humidity of the carrier gas, the temperature of the reactive metal material, the temperature of the condensing surfaces in the container and the temperature of the carrier gas are all sufficient to condense water out of the carrier gas and react with the reactive metal material in an exothermic reaction thereby forming a hyroxide of the reactive metal material and hydrogen, as the carrier gas contacts the condensing surfaces and the reactive metal material;   (b) removing exothermic heat of the water-reactive metal reaction of step (a); and   (c) removing the metal hydroxide formed in step (a) to prevent the metal hydroxide from covering the reactive metal material and slowing the reaction of the reactive metal material with the water condensed in step (a).

Join the waitlist — get patent alerts

Track US5505930A — get alerts on status changes and closely related new filings.

We store only your email — no account needed. See our privacy policy.